Like nurdles through the bongo net, so are the days of her blogging…

As Miriam’s matzoh ball drifts gently away from our shore and towards another, I’m struggling with several different emotions, most of which cannot so neatly be packaged into a pithy reference to Jewish life. First of all, I’m frustrated that we only shared the same blog pages for 2 years or so, it seems so short. I’m doing the V8 thing over the fact that we’ve never co-authored a post together. HOWEVER, I’m thrilled to have been a part of DSN at a time when a classic like Smoove A was penned. If you read only one of Miriam’s posts, make it that one. It is the very essence of what this place is all about, and a masterful merger of pop culture, penmanship and real science. I’m also thrilled that I had the common sense to invite her to the Aquarium to speak about her PhD research on the impacts of plastic pollution on the lower trophic levels of the pelagic ecosystem; she did a super job educating and entertaining staff and guests alike, while dispelling the myths around the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and replacing them with some, y’know, facts and stuff. Mim is a great example of when someone comes across as intelligent and funny in their online persona, only to prove more so when you actually meet them, as they say, IRL (and lets face it, how many times is the first IRL rendezvous deflatingly disappointing?).

As she embarks on a Knauss Fellowship, you all should be feeling good about marine science policy in this country, because if she contributes half as much to that as she has to the world of marine science blogging, then the country just took a big step in the right direction. Good luck Miriam, although, you won’t need it, and keep fighting the good fight for science, women, and women in science. I feel privileged that our matzohs floated in the same bowl for a while and I look forward to working for you one day :)

Al

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Dr. Alistair Dove is a systematic and ecological parasitologist by training, with broader research interests in the natural history and health of marine animals, especially whale sharks. He is currently Director of Research and Conservation at Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta USA. His comments here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Georgia Aquarium

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You are one of my role models for how to make a career out of blending conservation, outreach, and kickass science. Don’t think you’re getting rid of me this easily. And thank you SO MUCH for a whole series of good times in Hot-lanta!